About CBM
The history of CBM goes back to 1908, when the organisation was founded by the German Pastor Ernst Jakob Christoffel. Since then, CBM has become one of the leading professional organisations for people with disabilities worldwide. Currently, CBM supports over 1000 projects in over 100 countries.
CBM's vision is of an inclusive world in which all persons with disabilities enjoy their human rights and achieve their full potential.
CBM in India
India ranks 134th out of 182 countries, the same as in 2006, in the 2009 Human Development Report and is home to 60-80 million people with disabilities (PWDs). CBM regional office for the South Asia Region has prioritised implementation of programmes in states which have high percentages of people below the poverty line and high number of people with disabilities.
CBM started to extend its support to India in 1967 and in 1975 the South Asia Regional Office was established in Trichy, Tamil Nadu to coordinate activities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In 1994, the Regional Offices in North and South were established to cater to the growing projects supported by CBM.
Regional priorities
- Developing cooperation between NGOs, DPOs, SHGs, public sector and other civil society organisations.
- Strengthening capacities of DPOs and reinforcing role of Persons with Disabilities in policy making.
- Raising awareness and close information gaps for prevention of disability and all forms of intervention.
- Mainstreaming disability in the general health sector to help develop better quality of care for people with disabilities.
- Developing strategies on state and district level to deliver quality education for children with disabilities.
- Improving livelihood, employment opportunities and adequate social protection for persons with disabilities.
- Improving reach to persons with disabilities through public private partnerships, government schemes and engagement with multi-faceted stakeholders.
- Increasing outreach to women with disabilities and make greater effort to include them into their communities.
- Organisational building to improve partner capacities to reach persons with disabilities effectively and efficiently.
- Knowledge management, research and sharing of knowledge.
